A user of a client device (e.g., a personal computer, a mobile phone, a network-connected television, a set-top box coupled to a standard television, etc.) may play a media content (e.g., a video content, an audio content, a multimedia content, a textual content, etc.) that is streamed to the client device from a server device (and/or a content server) through a network (e.g., Internet, LAN, WAN, etc.). An owner of the media content may not permit the user to download the media content to the client device for a variety of reasons (e.g., copyright license restrictions, etc.).
The user of the client device may not be able to view the media content in a single viewing session (e.g., because of time constraints). An indicator (e.g., a pointer) may be stored on a memory buffer (e.g., local storage) of the client device associated with a location where the user paused a playback of the media content being streamed from the server when the media content is played from a client-side media player (e.g., Microsoft® Windows Media Player®, Apple® QuickTime® player, Adobe® Flash player® etc.). However, an application (e.g., a browser, the client-side media player, etc.) of the client device may delete the indicator after occurrence of an event (e.g., when the application is closed, after a period of time, etc.).
Sometimes, the user of the client device may wish to use different client devices to finish playing the media content across multiple viewing sessions. When the media content is streamed from the server through the network, the user may need to replay the media content in its entirety when they use different client devices to play portions of the media content. The used may waste time in repeatedly viewing portions of the media content that the user has previously seen. In some instances, the user may decide not to view the media content at all. As a result, the owner of the media content may lose valuable opportunities to distribute the media content through streaming.